Coupling devices for straps or webbings



July 28, 1959 c. P. MOLLA ET AL COUPLING DEVICES FOR STRAPS OR WEBBINGS Filed Nov. 2'7, 1957 INi/ENTQRS. P

MOLL/l CARLO TRO/HNO nTmRA/EY' United States Patent COUPLING DEVICES FOR STRAPS OR WEBBINGS Charles P. Molla, Old Westbury, and Carlo Troiano, Co-

piague, N.Y., assignors to Molla Incorporated, Westhury, Long Island, N.Y., a corporation of New York Application November 27, 1957, Serial No. 699,301

1 Claim. (Cl. 155-187) The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one end portion of a strap or webbing showing one of our improved coupling hooks and illustrating the mounting in connection with part of the framework of a piece of furniture.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the strap or webbing detached from the furniture support and showing the position of the hook member thereon.

The invention deals with the coupling of straps or webbings, in conjunction with furniture as taught in prior application of Charles P. Molla, Serial Number 666,693, filed June 19, 1957 and, in the present illustration, a single strap or webbing and one end portion only thereof is illustrated in the belief that those skilled in the art will readily understand that both ends of the strap or webbing will be of the same construction and that a number of these straps or webbings are arranged in the framework of a seat frame or back rest frame in providing cushion support in the seat and back rest, as well known in the art.

In Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, we have shown, at 10, a small portion of a seat or back rest frame which, in the construction shown, is L-shaped in cross-sectional form and one member of the frame has longitudinally elongated spaced apertures, one of which is indicated at 11. At 12 I have shown a strap or webbing which may be composed of any suitable yieldable material, such as rubber, synthetic rubber, rubber compositions and/or plastics, the strap adjacent its ends being cut intermediate its sides, as at 13, Figs. 1 and 3, to form a transverse retaining bar or member 14. The cuts are so formed as ice to receive the slightly tapered tongue end 15 of a coupling hook device 16, the latter having a wide curved hook end portion 17, generally of the cross-sectional contour clearly seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing. The cuts 13 are so formed with respect to the end of the strap or webbing 12 as to dispose the end portion 18 thereof within the hook end 17, leaving the material of the end portion 18 extending beyond the opposed sides of the hook 17, as seen at 19 in Fig. 1 of the drawing, to leave the terminal end 20 of the portion 18 extending beyond the free edge 21 of the hook 17. The side of the hook 17, having the edge 21, overlies and is substantially parallel with the opposed side of said hook.

The device 16 is preferably formed of thin, but strong and durable sheet metal and, by reason of the extensions 19 and 20, edges of the sheet metal are protected against direct engagement, as will be apparent. The tapered tongue portion 15 joins the hook member in curved wall portions, as at 22, note Fig. 1 of the drawing, to provide a strong and durable coupling book.

In assemblage of the straps or webbings with the frame supports, the one hook end portion of the strap is freely placed in one of the apertures, similar to the aperture 11, and the other end of the strap is engaged with the aperture, as noted in the drawings, by stretching the strap longitudinally to the degree sufficient to engage the ends 20, 21 with the aperture 11 and, in the final assemblage, the strap or webbing will be supported in a taut or stretched position between the two opposed supports, as will be apparent from a consideration of Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The elasticity of the strap or webbing is sufiicient to provide a tensional engagement of the bar or member 14 with the tongue 15 so as to, at all times, retain the device 16 against accidental displacement from the strap or webbing. On the other hand, the same can be forcibly removed at will.

With the present construction, it will be apparent that the portion 18 of the strap or webbing disposed within the hook provides a yieldable or cushioned support of the strap in connection with the frame 10, thereby avoiding any metal to metal contact.

Having fully described our invention, what We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In webbing of the character described, comprising an elongated wide extensible strap, reinforcing coupling hook devices attached to ends of the strap, each of said devices comprising a wide portion slightly less in width than the width of the strap and encircling the curved end portion of the strap, the hook portion having spaced sides, said curved end portion of the strap including an end extending beyond a free edge at one side of the hook portion, the other side of the hook portion having an integral elongated tongue arranged upon the upper surface of the strap, and a bar member fashioned from the material of the strap overlying and frictionally engaging said tongue to retain the device against displacement from the strap end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,766,814 Sedlacek Oct. 16, 1956 

